It – He – They’re Back! Supernatural ‘Don’t Call Me Shurley’

I’m in the middle of a family vacation, so this is a one-time viewing review. Forgive me if I mess up details – and feel free to correct me! I’m writing from the heart (which, let’s face it, is usually a large part of what motivates my writing about this Show anyway).

I loved this episode. It’s another one of those episodes that split the fandom, though I think there were more people on the squee side than the OMG NO side this time. I will admit right up front that at first I was skeptical. I’ve been skeptical ever since we’ve pretty much known that Chuck was back and he was going to be God. Kripke carefully didn’t “go there” because seriously, that is one BIG risk for a show to take. As soon as this episode began and Chuck revealed himself to Metatron, I got nervous. Oh boy, here we go – Show is really truly going there. I might have bitten my fingernails a bit.

It’s a controversial move to make God an actual character, but surely everyone was prepared for it to happen. They set that up the second they made Amara God’s sister, so I had plenty of time to prepare for the reality of it. It’s probably been hinted at since the Show changed course to include angels in the SPN universe. Is it messy? Sure, it’s ridiculously messy. But I also give Show credit for being willing to try very risky things, and this is surely one of them. Actually portraying God changes things. Now God is not MIA. He’s a fed up bitter being who created universes because he was lonely, then got mad because his sister kept destroying them. He’s a little like every big brother or sister in the world, who gets pissed when their baby sister knocks down their latest Lego creation.

There are also plenty of people who loved Chuck as the quirky bathrobe-wearing hard-drinking writer (and unwilling prophet), and didn’t want to see that character become something different. Though I’m not sure how different, because in some ways Chuck is still Chuck. It definitely requires a leap of faith and some suspension of disbelief to believe that he was God all along, but I’m willing to go along on that ride. And I was just plain overjoyed to see Rob Benedict, who is so beloved at the cons, back on the show that brought him to the SPN Family in the first place. It just felt so right.

We got lots of in jokes in this episode, which I adore, but again, I know some people loathe. (Watching this episode was a weirdly split experience for me in the beginning, as I was torn between just enjoying it and worrying about what fandom’s reaction would be, which made me rather dizzy.) This episode had a whopping portion of “fan service”, which itself is a controversial idea. Some fans welcome it with open arms, either because it feels like it gives fans some acknowledgement or maybe even some power (that latter part, not really, but it can feel good) or because it’s just plain fun (that’s the camp I’m in and I’m staying there because frankly I’m all about the fun when it comes to my favorite show – it balances out the heartbreak). Other fans view it as inherently manipulative – a way to get fans emotionally invested instead of “earning it” through the story itself. But they don’t seem mutually exclusive to me. I love when the story grabs me by the heart and bowls me over. But I also love when Show tells me that it understands what I want and what I care about and sometimes it wants to give that to me. I mean, come on, it feels GOOD!

The episode also had a lot of call backs, and I enjoyed those too. One to Monster At The End of This Book as Chuck once again poked fun at himself for writing actual SPN episode titles. (I’m the only one who didn’t hate ‘Bugs’, aren’t I?) Yes, I know they’ve gone there before, but this is Chuck – why wouldn’t he go there again? I actually laughed out loud at ‘Revolution’ being another Chuck book series attempt (Kripke, you’ll never truly be gone from Supernatural).

(In fact, Kripke is far from gone – he tweeted his support of the episode, and confided that writer Robbie Thompson ran it all by him for his approval. Which frankly made me get all warm and fuzzy inside, because Kripke!)

I admit that I stayed skeptical for a while, wondering if Show could actually pull this off and thinking about all the years of canon that would have to fit into this new frame. Chuck/God allowed some truly horrible things to happen to Sam and Dean and Cas and a whole lot of other people and angels while he was off being an absentee dad. But that’s a pretty accurate reflection of the real world we live in anyway. Who expected Supernatural’s version of God to be so hands on that he swooped in and interceded 24/7? We don’t expect that from our real world deities!

Still, there are potential HUH points with this new reveal. Becky had a fling with God? Hmmm. I guess Fangirls really are special. Though really, God hanging out and being human for a while isn’t that much of a stretch when you compare it to various traditional religions’ stories of how God became embodied at times.

Anyway, I was nervous for the first part of the episode. So I was laughing, half that sort of nervous laughter that you can’t control and half a truly amused I’m-having-fun sort. Chuck casually revealed that he’d even done some dating – dated some girls, dated some guys…

Wait, what? I sat there grinning at my television and thought, you know what? Screw it. Look, I love this Show and I just can’t help it. Yes, they’re going somewhere that’s insane and it’s going to be tough to pull off, but seriously? There is no show like this show. This show has as much balls as the Winchesters do – and that’s really saying something!

My timeline: Supernatural. The Show where the first canon bi character is God.

Yep. That’s the show I love all right.

So I let myself start to relax and enjoy the ride, and then you know what happened? My show got fucking amazing. Rob Benedict and Curtis Armstrong, two of my favorite people in the universe, made absolute magic happen. They’re both great actors, I know. But the scenes between the two of them in this episode, the writing and the acting, were amazing.

So much dialogue, it should have made my attention wander, it should have pinged my ‘too much exposition’ bell, it should have made me cringe. Instead it had me sitting on the edge of my seat, and then reaching for the tissues as Metatron – of all people! – ripped my heart out.

I’ve always been a bit of a Metatron fan just because I so love Curtis and his portrayal, but this human version of Metatron is a character who I empathize with. How much he’s changed from being human! From tossing the dog the last bit of food to pleading the Winchesters’ case, this isn’t the same being who was a narcissistic power hungry dick. This is a man who has been touched by humanity and now is trying to save it on behalf of an entire world full of people who don’t even know their world is about to be destroyed. It turns out that Metatron’s brains and skill and sincerity are the only things that might save the world – who saw that one coming??

Rob and Curtis sold the complex back and forth between Chuck and Metratron, as they bullshit each other, goad each other, threaten each other, and finally get real with each other. Metatron – of all people – is the one who saves the day. Curtis (and Robbie’s dialogue) made me truly empathize with Metatron. He hears every hurtful word that Chuck says to him, is undefended enough to let the harsh truth of his own not-specialness sink in, and we SEE the pain it causes him. But he doesn’t run away from it. He owns up to it, confesses how much it hurts, dares to be real and open and talk about it – and isn’t that exactly what we all tell each other too? Not to keep quiet, to reach out when we hurt – to always keep fighting. Metatron does that, and Curtis shows us every bit of his pain and every bit of his courage too.

(Also who knew Rob Benedict could look so effing scary?!)

(Or that Curtis Armstrong can’t pour himself a beer?)

I loved the moment when Chuck decided to be Keith Richards, loved the use of ‘Gimme Shelter,’ and was that a photo of Richards hanging in the bar too? The music in this episode was A+++, so wonderful that it made it feel almost like a season finale instead of episode 20!

There were so many reveals, my head was spinning trying to keep up. (And yes, it’s true, some of them stretched the limits of canon, but didn’t entirely break through the boundaries). This episode had alot to do – I can just imagine Robbie Thompson getting the word and trying to figure out how the hell all that could happen in one episode!

So Rob and Curtis were amazing. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean.

I love Robbie Thompson for writing the little domestic Sam and Dean moments that we rarely see – and that entire 20K works of fanfiction are written around. Dean ironing Sam’s shirt? With beer? Oh yes please, give me more of that!

Robbie Thompson: So I guess you’re all TeamIronMan

Dean and Sam suit up as two extraordinarily good looking FBI agents (nothing new there) named Greer and Erhart, a tribute to Kansas. In the lovely inclusiveness of the SPN Family, Kansas replied with a tweet:

@KansasBand: Hear there are nice FBI agents on that show.

When are we seeing Kansas on SPN??

As I said, there were scenes that seemed to be deliberate call backs to other episodes – especially Jus In Bello as they all try to stay safe inside the sheriff’s office, and Croatoan, where we see that one of the Winchesters is immune to the demon virus (and, more importantly, that the Winchesters WILL NOT leave each other, no matter what). Those are two of my favorite episodes, so I appreciated the call backs here.

Sam tries to save everyone – and I do mean everyone – before the deadly fog gets there. Who didn’t melt when he pulled that little girl out of the car and called her “sweetheart”?

Dean is both appalled at what the infected woman has to say to him about being spared by Amara, and determined (as always) to keep his brother safe. He pulls Sam away from the fog at the last second and the Winchesters make a run for it.

They attempt to save the people huddled inside by duct taping up the vents and windows, in true MacGyver fashion. Except it worked for him.

The fog gets inside, we see Sam have to take a breath and cough, and to my horror we see the black veins creeping up him. People are dying, so we know it’s bad. Ohgod Sam, it’s bad.

Dean knows it too. This scene broke my heart – it was like Croatoan all over again, with Dean refusing to leave his brother and run to what might be safety. This time we get Sam really failing though, so it was even more emotional. Dean holding him, petting his hair, telling Sam he’s there, he’s not gonna leave.

Dean: I’m not leaving my brother.

Like in Croatoan, they close the door and leave the brothers behind.

Dean: I’m here. I’m not leaving you. Ever.

I started to cry when he said that, and then there was that moment that my poor heart wasn’t prepared for. Dean knows Sam is dying and steels himself, looking up in determination. And then he takes a purposeful breath, inhaling the fog.

Ready to die beside his brother, unwilling to leave him.

It’s the second Romeo and Juliet moment this season and Ohgod, my heart. This is why this Show owns me.

To his surprise, Dean doesn’t die. And then, something unexpected happens. Earlier in the episode, Chuck had mentioned the amulet, and my heart had started to beat faster.

You’ll never guess where it’s been all along…

Would they? Could they? I didn’t dare get my hopes too far up.

As Sam is fading and I’m sobbing, Dean looks down to see something glowing in Sam’s pocket.

I stopped sobbing. I don’t think I was even breathing.

He pulls the glowing object out of Sam’s pocket and IS IT? IS IT?

OMG IT IS. IT REALLY FUCKING IS.

My daughter came downstairs at that moment to find me sitting in the middle of the living room staring at the television with my mouth literally hanging open. Gobsmacked. Speechless.

The look on Dean’s face – it’s not only “Ohmygod it’s glowing, what does this mean?” but “Ohmygod, you kept it? All these years, you kept it?”

The emotion I felt at that moment was truly overwhelming. I couldn’t even talk. Pretty sure Robbie Thompson was bowled over by my adoration at that moment even though he was on the other coast. You can call it fan service – there would never be a way of Dean getting it back that wouldn’t be, because of all the many things fans want, that was always at the top of the list. You can call it pandering, I guess – frankly, I don’t care what we call it, I’m too overjoyed to have it happen. It needed to happen. I needed it to happen.

I think Jared and Jensen felt the same. They loved this episode. They’ve both been dying for it to air, dying for fans to know about the Samulet. Jared confided that he cried reading the script for that scene between the brothers – and that’s how much emotion he and Jensen put into it. There was nothing that wasn’t genuine about the actors’ belief in this script and that scene. Nothing that was inauthentic or pandering. And that came through.

Meanwhile, Rob Benedict is serenading Curtis Armstrong.

I mean, Chuck is serenading Metatron. But really it seems like canon has crashed headlong into the metatext of a convention, and my head – which was already spinning because all the blood rushed to my heart – honestly wanted to explode. You can’t help wondering if God in Supernatural is about to be the most literal Deus Ex Machina in the history of ever, but again, I love Show’s balls.

A lot of the fandom loved this episode. Supernatural, Metatron, Amara and #GodIsComing all trended worldwide! Some people I know and love definitely didn’t.

So what did you think? Tell us in the comments!

Much thanks to @kayb625 for the beautiful (and speedy) caps!

ETA: I can’t even read my own review now without sobbing. The last Supernatural episode that Robbie Thompson will write? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken. And now I see it through that lens and it all makes so much sense. Kudos, Robbie. I’m devastated, but this was a masterful goodbye.

–LynnTo read more of our Supernatural thoughts, along
with lots from the SPN cast and crew, check out our
books on Supernatural at amazon – links on the
main page!

It was a great episode but there was so much going on that 1 viewing isn’t enough. My first surprise was Metatron feeding the dog. “Maybe he’s not such a dick after all?”. He actually was so much better than he was before. He didn’t back down and called Chuck/God on stuff. I actually cheered for him. What a difference being human makes.
Sam and Dean and creepy fog lurking around made for an interesting story. I though for sure than Sam would bring the holy oil though. Maybe they used it all up?

First of all thank you for this review. And I wanna thank all the wonderful people working on this ep! I love it, love the interactions between Chuck and Metatron, love the way, Metatron changed since I saw him the last time, love the love between Dean and Sam, love the doubts God had the whole time, love the song. And why shouldn’t God be bi? He loves everyone the same way – men and women, so – . This is one of my favourites, definitely!

Curtis Armstrong (& Mr. Thompson) took Metatron from being one of the most loathsome characters ever to someone I was cheering for. Amazing that they could do that in just 1 hour.
And can we talk about the super cute and wildly talented Rob Benedict?! Who knew one of the sweetest people on the planet could be scary? Great job on making me smile, making me terrified and breaking my heart all in one episode & often in one scene, Mr. Benedict.

Honestly…you’re so right, SnazzyO. We are spoiled by the talent on this show!!

I loved it so much I asked Robbie Thompson to marry me. I haven’t been this moved by an episode’s writing (not necessarily what happened, but the words that were used themselves and how they were put together) since Swan Song. The character development in Metatron was almost too much for me, but I will save my feelings on that until I watch the episode again. I’ve hated him so much (this role has eclipsed the few other roles I’ve seen Curtis play to the point that I’ve had trouble even seeing him in my Twitter feed without reacting) that seeing him feed the dog gave me whiplash. Everything else Metatron said just made me dizzy, and I need another viewing to wrap my head around it. I loved hearing Rob Benedict sing, though, as always, and have downloaded the song for free from the link he tweeted!

Can I just say: GAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! I haven’t seen the episode yet but GAAh!!! Twitter and tumblr exploded! Okay, Im skeptic to Curtis, simply cause I HATE him! (not like, hate him as a character but DAMN he is a douche!!) But I can’t wait to see this episode!! I woke up at 3 for some reason and decided uh what the hell I can see what people think about the ep. I didn’t go to bed for hours. Just the tweets made me say syllables, currently unknown to mankind. Then this review came up. Once again, I’m letting out syllables that makes NO sense. I’m pretty sure that if the neighbours heard me they will lose that last doubt if Im insane or not.

Loved it, loved it, LOVED IT! I sobbed as Rob/Chuck was singing and people were being healed and when the Samulet showed up. I laughed at the “Worlds greatest Dad” mug on the table, that’s when I knew for sure Chuck was God. And I really want to know where the Samulet has been this whole time. In a garbage dump, or in Sam’s keepsake box? The dog was super cute!

It’s really interesting that we refer back to Croatoan for this episode given that the sheriff is the nurse that infected Sam. I wonder if it’s just standard SPN recasting, or if it was slightly more purposeful.

I loved this episode for the same reasons I loved “Fan Fiction” and “The French Mistake” and “Monster at the End of this Book” and all the meta episodes. This show just GOES THERE! It’s got balls, as you say, and it totally tickles my little fan-fiction-writing heart and inspires the hell outta me, thank you very much! No other show has ever done that for me, and I’m selfishly very, very grateful :))

I loved this episode too, from the depths of my heart. And Chuck as God is quite perfect, I am relieved they went there. Also if the series had ended after 5 years ambiguity is quite fine, but at 11 years it becomes useless. (The growth of Metatron as a human was also delightful.) I laughed as I read how you were worried about fandom’s reactions.to the episode, oh me too, But the joy carried me past the worrying and some of the sourness I read. And honestly I think for the majority of the folks this was a beautiful hour.

So appreciated this episode. I wonder if God inhabits a human vessel so he is visible to humanity should he choose that option. It would clarify how Chuck Shurley existed as a prophet of the Lord. he does go poof in S 5 so it is an unknown. It was hard to believe this is not a finale episode. That being said, where can the show go from here? The writers continue to surprise us, but there may be a wind down after meeting God. Are there other family members? I am in the “love it” group. Thank you Robbie THompson for compressing an epic story into so short a time.

Oh Lynn…..I’ve been waiting impatiently to read what you would have to say about this episode. The FEELS, the tears, the smiles, the out-loud-laughing at this Show!! Robbie Thompson deserves all the cookies for this one!! And Jared, Jensen, Rob and Curtis….oh my heart. I had a weird panic moment during one of the final commercial breaks; I found myself thinking “maybe this is it, maybe this is going to be the final episode, maybe they’ve just been f***ing with us about another season because this; this feels like a goodbye”!!! And then I sobbed and tried to talk myself down!!

I could write a book about every wonderful detail that Show brought to us in a mere 42 minutes. The affirmations, revelations and confirmations were just overwhelming! Okay, I will stop because your review said it all.

Thank you Show, for making my fangirl dance the jig, cry and sob and just enjoy the hell out of that episode!!

On the whereabouts of the Samulet, I don’t feel like Sam had it all along, at least not in his jacket pocket. I think Chuck placed it there after he turned it back on. I would love it if Dean went back to wearing it but I know he won’t. Probably Chuck will ask for it back.

I have mixed feelings about this episode. For the most part I liked the scenes between Chuck and Metatron. Curtis Armstrong and Robbie Thompson did an amazing job of turning Metatron into a hero and Winchester supporter. I believe that his couple of years as a human gave him the kind of insight that could have led to such a shift in personality. I was not pleased with the guitar serenade, because that was Rob Benedict, not Chuck or God. It took me out of the moment and I really can’t fathom what its purpose was.

You make a very good point about non-Judeo Christian tradition gods taking human form and “dating” humans. I guess I can believe that. The funny thing for me is (and apologies to believers), I was raised by atheists who were also the children of atheists, and to me God has always been a fictional character. I don’t find it particularly controversial to have an embodied Old Testament God. Why should Zeus and Kali and all the other gods that have been introduced on the show be acceptable to an audience and not Yahweh?

What’s up with Chuck placing all the blame for releasing Amara on Sam? It was just the latest action in a chain of events that were set in motion the minute Mary Campbell traded her father’s life for John Winchester’s. Or, depending upon how you look at it, the minute Cain slew Abel. Does Sam get no credit for sacrificing himself to save the world?

It was a very nice moment when Chuck appeared and healed the sick and raised the dead, especially since Sam was among the sick. And also a lovely moment when Dean declared he was staying with Sam. It was just like Croatoan, down to the scenery, but that’s fine with me.

So yes, the End [of the season] is Nigh, and I’m interested to know how the return of the deadbeat dad plays into that. My hope would be that he would eradicate or lock up angels AND demons, and the Winchester boys could get back to hunting monsters. It’s been such a pleasure to watch them do that again this season.

Ok, on rewatch I liked the scene of Chuck playing guitar much better. In fact I really was more moved by the whole episode. Probably has something to do with being able to skip through the commercials.

Count me among the “eh” people but I am not the nostalgic type, nor big on God being in the show. The Samulet scene in Fanfiction got me a lot more, this felt like a rehash of that, along with Dean saying in that ep that he didn’t need it to understand his bond with Sam.

Bi God is just going to stir up the shippers even more and I worry about backlash when they don’t get what they want. I watched it three times to see if I was missing something, may watch it a fourth, but there were no twists and I don’t tend to worry when a brother gets infected, we know they will survive.

I haven’t watched Croatoan in a long time so I didn’t catch all the call backs. The acting was amazing but it felt too fanservicey to me and not as clever as I like it to be. I was hoping for something like they found out about another Supernatural book and Chuck was a voice of God or prophet. However, since he’s here it should set up interesting conversations. I hope Dean rips him a new one. The brother moment was all right, but we know Dean won’t bail on Sam, the one that got me more was the ep with when he chose to leave thinking Sam was dead, that was a nail biter.

This ep to me was ho hum, Baby was better on nostalgia and it made more sense nostalgia wise. Anyway, on to next week.

The Samulet during the 200th episode is suppose to pull at your heart. This episode it is suppose to “save” the day. The question is whether Sam had it all along. That means he has been holding onto it since Dean dumped it in the basket of the motel. It means so much to Sammy. He has that memory box that holds his highlites of life.and…..death. It is used to emote a different emotion or purpose so you are not incorrect with your statement. Where can they go from here? Is this the beginning of the end?

I’m most definitely on the OMFG Yes side (hell, I tend that way in general), but I squealed out loud almost from the start from all the meta. I’ve had a Samulet of my own for about eight years now, and seeing it when Chuck held it up was definitely a squee moment. The episode and Kripke shout-outs tickled me pink, and I was not surprised to learn either that Robbie Thompson reached out or that Eric Kripke was more than fine with it.

Rob and Curtis were stunningly good. That was some of the most riveting and intelligent dialogue–beautifully written and acted–I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I think because I am a part-time copy editor (of M/M romance and LGBTQ genre fiction) Metatron’s role particularly appealed to me. And of course a human-meatsuit-ensconced version of God would be bi!

The boys’ heroism and Dean’s distress and confusion about Amara sparing him versus his determination to be with Sam no matter what were so lovingly portrayed.

I can’t wait to hear the discussion from the next con about the episode. Thank heavens for you and for fans with smart phones for that possibiility. I did note that some folks had issues with the episode, but me, I’m a happy camper. I had some nasty oral surgery last week, and that one hour was the closest I’ve come to forgetting the pain and trauma since.

Lovely write up as always, Lynn. So much to love in this episode: the musical references, the metric ton of meta, etc., the pathos is strong in this one! But Rob and Curtis were extraordinary. The little boy abandoned weeping Metatron just melted every bit of me–he was brilliant and heartbreaking! Because he was so awful, the explanation (and owning) of his awfulness as an acting out and a cry for attention made it make so much sense

You’re right about this show being willing to go there and then being able to pull it off. I have always been skeptical about Chuck as God the whole time. I could see Chuck as vessel, not knowing he was inhabited by God, but then the “acting is fun” line took that possibility away. Robbie Thompson and Rob Benedict made it all okay for me, though you’re right that it is hard to get past the whole boatload of horrors that Chuck let happen to our boys, but yep, bad things happen to good people just like in the real world. This Show can pull off stuff that no other show could even broach.

I have always liked the Deist philosophy of the show’s concept of God and it will be interesting to see where they go from here and how the boys catch up with Chuck. I am really interested to see Castiel (once he is separate from Lucifer) meet Chuck if we get to see that. I am also really interested in more explication of the “Lucifer was never my favorite and Lucifer was never a villain” lines. Only three more episodes and so many questions!

In Jared’s meet and greet in Vegas he mentioned that they had just finished episode 20 and he said “I can’t wait for y’all to see it.” He said it was pretty powerful, and he did not overstate.

The Samulet was the topper of the episode and I loved it. Can’t wait for next week!

In one of the panels in Vegas, the boys were celebrating the season 12 renewal and Jared mentioned how happy he was that they would be able to more fully develop what they have started in 11–he said it would be a shame not to be able to complete what they’ve started.

Excellent write-up! You hit every point and then some. I must confess I look forward to your blog ALMOST as much as the Show itself! I purposely don’t read spoilers or even look at scenes for next week so I didn’t know the name of the episode until I watched. I LOVE Chuck Shurley and LOVE LOVE LOVE Rob Benedict’s portrayal of him but was completely blown away to discover he is God! Man, oh man, THIS SHOW KILLS ME! And I love it! Robbie Thompson is simply brilliant. He’s got us wrapped around his little finger all the while we have a death grip on his heart! I know there are people out there who didn’t like this ep or maybe even where the show is going, but man, I am enjoying this ride! And I’ll definitely be rewatching soon. Like, today. 😁

I had the EXACT same reaction you did to the Samulet reveal in Sam’s pocket. I definitely squeed out loud when I saw it with Chuck to begin with, but when I saw Dean holding it in his hand, my hand flew up to my now gaping mouth. I was already in tears over Rob’s lovely voice, but the moment they showed the look on Dean’s face, the waterworks really started. I said it on twitter and I’ll say it here, 11 seasons in and they’re still making knock-the-ball-out-the-park amazing episodes that smack you right in the heart. This is why I love this show so much. I absolutely am one of those who believes Sam had it the whole time, rather than Chuck putting it in his pocket. He did, after all, tell Metatron he’d never believe where it’d been all that time.

Really enjoyed your review as usual. (I’m halfway through Fangasm and am enjoying that too!) I’m always surprised to hear when fans don’t like an episode but I guess that’s because I don’t watch this show with “critique” in mind. I love to let it wash over me and I am pretty willing to love everything about it. I recognize there are sometimes plot holes, canon bending story lines, out of character dialog, etc. It’s not perfect. What TV show ever is, particularly one with so many seasons? But, for me, it does so much, so well that I can forgive the low points and rejoice in the rest. I LOVED this episode. I wish Robbie Thompson would write all of Season 12!!!

Sorry I posted my comment twice. Got confused by this process – duh! Half an hour after I posted I learned about Robbie’s departure. I’m devastated. Actually cried a bit. What other show pulls you in so deeply that you have an intense emotional reaction to one of the writers leaving? Never happened to me before. But I will keep watching, and no doubt keep loving, Supernatural!

I was surprised by the mixed reaction to this episode on my Twitter feed, especially the ones who hated this episode. I think I just may have to stay off Twitter while watching the rest of the season because I tend to get bummed out when I see a bunch of negative reactions to something I’m enjoying.

I thought the episode was great. I enjoyed the shout outs to Kripke and found them funny and not a slam on the mythos he created seasons 1 through 5. I thought all the actors knocked it out of the park in the episode.

The samulet has always been one of those things that I’ve been obsessed with ever since Dean threw it away. I believed Sam picked it up out of the garbage with the hope there would be a time that he could give it to Dean again. I asked Jared at his M&G in Toronto this past Fall if he thought Sam might have gotten it out of the garbage. Jared said he’d like to think so because we wanted to see it again. I’m sure he had no idea that it was coming into play later in the season.

I know Jim Michaels has Tweeted that Chuck put it in Sam’s pocket. I agree that he did at that moment but I still think Sam had it all along in his memento box. Chuck is God so he can zap it into his hands to show Metatron and then into Sam’s pocket so everyone could be saved. Robbie is going to be at Motor City Comic Con this weekend. I’m going on Saturday so if he has a panel that day I plan on asking about this (if someone doesn’t beat me to it).

I hope the next 3 episodes can build off this one. The “All in the Family” was written by Buckner and Ross-Leming so I’m trying not to get my hopes up. Sorry for the negativity but I think they’re the two weakest writers on the staff. I wish they weren’t given myth arc episodes because they tend to suffer in my opinion.

I’m keep wondering how the season will end and what kind of setup we will get for season 12. I’ve especially enjoyed the MoW episodes this season. I feel like they’ve been the strongest.

IMO, (whatever that is worth, LOL) Sam did NOT seem surprised that the amulet was in his pocket, but, rather that it was glowing and he was healed. To me, he didn’t have the expression of “How did that get here?!” Both Sam & Dean knew what it meant if the amulet glowed and that was the fuel to get them up and out looking for HIm. Beautiful ep, but, now I’m seeing on Twitter a tweet from Robbie like he is leaving the show. Dos not compute!!😦

Really enjoyed your review as usual. (I’m halfway through Fangasm and am enjoying that too!) I’m always surprised to hear when fans don’t like an episode but I guess that’s because I don’t watch this show with “critique” in mind. I love to let it wash over me and I am pretty willing to love almost everything about it. I recognize there are sometimes plot holes, canon bending story lines, repetitive expository set-ups, etc. It’s not perfect. What TV show ever is, particularly one with so many seasons? But, for me, it does so much so well that I can forgive the low points and rejoice in the rest. I LOVED this episode. I wish Robbie Thompson would write all of Season 12!!

Thank you for writing this. I am with you all the way, except I no longer worry about “how are they going to pull this off?” because they’ve put me in my place every time I have thought that. This show… sometimes there just aren’t words. Good thing we have you! The way you described your reaction to the Samulet appearance was also exactly how I experienced it. I always thought I would have a much more animated reaction if they ever brought it back, but I just sat there, not breathing, mouth hanging open and tears falling, I, too, am hoping that Sam had it all along and that’s what I’m going to enjoy believing (at least for the next 6 days). And I also liked your take on the dialogue between Chuck and Metatron. I was glued to the TV during the whole thing. I could have watched another hour of those two which really surprised me because I generally don’t get very interested any other characters besides the brothers (and Bobby and Rufus!) for very long. So, yes- I am in the ADORED IT camp. I could watch it again and again and I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see anything about Robbie Thompson leaving (WTF?) as I savor the beauty of this episode until Wednesday. Thanks again!

I confess, first comes the Show and second I wait for your review. The both are a package deal for me. Not only for the often ‘backstage view’ from you so we learn what the cast said about certain scenes, music choices and so on. But also for your open and neutral view of every aspect of the show.

In twitter we all have some wincest/J2/or maybe destiel shippers in our timeline. And after a show it starts often with bad talking in shipdoms. So, its always refreshing to read your review what shines a light on EVERY aspect of the show we love so much. Myself, I love every brother moment, but every other character is also important for the story. So, for me there are no filler episodes. And so on.

So, this episode had everything for me. We got Chuck as God and why not? Its Fiction. I liked the film “Dogma” (with his black 13. apostel ;)) so why should not God himself play a role in my favorite show? Better Chuck than Alissa Morissette.😉 And if we think about it, Supernatural playes in a (parallel) world, where werewolfes, wendigos, demons and angels are real. So there is a absentee God in our back of our heads in every season since season one, but for real after Deans stint in Hell and the angels got introduced.

And now, in Season 11! was the right moment for God to show himself. And he has a sister, ok, it looks a little silly if you had to explain it someone out of the Supernatural fandom… But they explained it so well, its so plausible now. There are two beings like deitys and death. Bigger than everything. Like ying and yang, one is Creation and his other half is Nothingness. And to balance all out, there is Death. So God created, and his Sister destroyed. Until this worl created evolution, natural selection on its own. And God was interested, because now he saw something that would surprise even him. Then came mankind, and with her cruelness. And he was disappointed. So, after a time, he turned away. But Methatron lets him see, after all, mankind has also good qualities.

As God said ‘this is MY story. Not hers’. I thought: Ant hill. little Child. Magnifying glass… Very good played. Or Chucks ‘you would never guess where the amulet has been’ and Metron said it doesn’t matter I had a little hiccup like ‘ahhh,NO! But I want to know!’. Sigh.
I hope in the next episode we get to know if it had been with Sam all the time. (surely not in his jacket pocket, but maybe in the fanfiction rolled up sock in the bottom of his duffel bag? ;))

And I agree, this episode had a feeling like a Series finale. In Season 11, Episode 20… What other Show has this? Not one.

So, I loved and love this episode to 100%. It had everything AND Brother Moments that will inspire fanfictions for years to come.

I had a really mixed reaction to the episode. I appreciated the meta remarks –“Revolution” lol! And at the end, when the amulet in Sam’s pocket glowed and the horrible situation was resolved I was all teary. All the Sam & Dean in the episode was pure gold.

However, I was/am pretty iffy on the rest of it. Let me say up front that Rob and Curtis were phenomenal. Truly. But. I have invested a lot in hating Metatron with the fiery passion of a thousands suns. (Because Curtis is that good) So I don’t appreciate him being the sympathetic character. He doesn’t deserve to be humanity’s champion. I don’t buy it. Curtis sold it, don’t get me wrong — but I don’t buy it from the character I know and hate.

I don’t like that God is revealed so — so baldly and unequivocally. I don’t know how Show is going to handle this — because if Cass was a Deus Ex Machina, we need a whole new phrase to describe what having God actually around is. He resurrected the dead people of the town fergosssakes. Again, my reaction is very mixed because I really liked that part but it can’t go on like that.

Well, I liked the episode, definitely, but there are some things I still cant wrap my head around. I find some inconsistencies to Chuck being God. My take on it is that Chuck was supposed to be God according to the original five-season story created by Eric Kripke, but after all the twists that have taken place after that, Im not sure that identity fits the story anymore. For example, Cas once said he had all the names of the prophets seared into his memory and he ruled out as a prophet the girl who turned out to be the Whore of Babylon. How could he not tell Chuck Shurley wasnt a prophet either? Why did an archangel showed up to protect him from Lilith? I dont know… Also, the reveal that Gods been dating both girls and boys kind of explains Becky, you could say, but Im not sure it explains Mistress Magda. I dont really have a problem with God allowing all kind of bad things to happen, though. So, to me, jury still out on Chuck-God. We’ll see whats to come and then decide. Of course the scenes between Chuck and Metatron were great. Metatron almost redeemed himself to my eyes, and thats saying something. I guess Curtis is good that way. One last thing to say about this before moving to my boys: I was Ok with God-Chuck-Rob singing and people being healed, in fact, Rob singing, whats not to like? But enough is enough. I dont want God to come along and save the day. The heros in this story are Sam and Dean, and I want to keep it that way. Now, on more important matters: the Samulet? Im not sure it fits the story right but I want to believe it was in Sam’s possession all along. It must have hurt when Dean threw it in the garbage can, but I’d expect Sam did understand how much it hurt Dean too what he saw in Heaven so he picked it up, hoping that someday they could fix things. It reappearing now, to me, is also a metaphor to Sam and Dean putting their relationship back together. The call backs to Croatoan were inevitable, except this time it’s Dean who is immune to the deathly plague. I almost felt sorry for him when he took a deep breath of the fog, hoping to get infected and die by Sam’s side and it didnt happen. Heartily broments: Sam confesing his fear that Dean would choose Amara over him and Dean’s reassurance that he wont ever leave him… we’ve always known that is the case, but seeing that now they are willing to say it out loud, to say it to each other and to actually show that they care… there are no words to describe what that does to my heart. So… looking forward to the few episodes left and see how they are going to wrap this up. I gotta say, after all this time, I’ve learned to trust my show. They always seem to find their way back home.

perhaps Mistress Magda is the Chuck character that God wore and he couldn’t shake it off and he did anticipate the END and a godless society after Lucifer took over the Earth. Or it could be that GOD took Chuck over during the writing moments and then let him be Chuck the Prophet during the other moments. God being God could explain the masking of his true self even to Castiel. He says in this episode that not everyone gets to see his true self- and he loves acting.

So God taking over at times of writing, that would make Chuck a vessel. An amazingly strong vessel to be able to contain God. Works for me… just leaves me wondering whatever happened to Chuck himself… man, this is a never ending whirlwind!

It’s just the show messing with us! God has taken many forms-even a burning bush so why not take the form of CHuck Shurley. After all this episode is called DCMS! It has come out of the closet.
Was Eve Mother of All just of all bad or is there more?

I was also working with the head canon that Chuck was a prophet/vessel capable of containing God – like Luke according to Cas. That would be a different type of prophet than Kevin, who was capable of reading the word, but not creating it.

And while I’m not sure yet how an identifiable God is going to work out here, I’m willing to go for the ride and see where this ends up.

If God thought the brothers passed the test at the end of Swan Song, he probably thinks that the failed it with the unleashing of the Darkness. I think wrathful Chuck has a lot of potential and might make up for showing us a definitive deity.

Thank you for giving words to my feelings. As always. My whole heart loved this episode. I cannot stop watching it. Such a gift given to us. And it most likely helps that I love (adore) meta and also believe that, like life, new reasons for previous actions are constantly discovered. I know some bright and good fans are upset, but I am so happy after this episode I can barely manage to be disconcerted by their words. So I shall not even try. And simply rejoice. Every time I think of the glowing amulet my heart skips happily. Onward!

Awesome review for an awesome episode. I didn’t think Robbie could ever top Baby. It was his Swan Song and Supernatural will never be the same. I’m just devastated by this unexpected loss to the show. I think a rewatch of all of his episodes is in order.

I think maybe my favourite thing about this episode (among many wonderful things) was that in the beginning Chuck says “You know what humanity’s greatest creation has been? Music. That and nacho cheese. Even I couldn’t have dreamt up that deliciousness. But music… is magic.”

Even the Leviathans in season 7 had a taste for nacho cheese melted.”everything goes better with cheese” Was that God talking or Rob Benedict the musician. THompson seems to not only know the characters, but the actors who portray them. Robbie T- we will miss your writing style!

I wasn’t jumping up and down at this episode but I thoroughly enjoyed it – despite my devastated head canon. (I survived Dean not finding God in Purgatory, I’m sure I’ll make it through this, too.)

My favorite moments were all between Chuck and Metatron which amazes me. As always, I adore Sam and Dean but their part seemed a little shoehorned in to me.

My favorite Amulet moment wasn’t that it was still around or in Sam’s pocket, but rather the matter-of-fact “I turned it off” because it’s God. Of course God could do that. It shouldn’t be surprising at all, but that reveal was done in such a playful way that it obfuscates the message there – God is messing us. That is probably never a good thing.

Metatron was amazing, and kudos to everyone involved on bringing that home. Making Metatron sympathetic in such a relatable way – I didn’t think that could be pulled off. But it was brilliant.

In general I don’t like fan service other than the occasional “oh I see what you did there” moment. I prefer to trust that the show has a plan.

Admittedly, there have been times when I don’t think there was much of a plan.

At first my reaction to the ending was (as my text to a friend said) “wtf show?” It seemed too neat. No one died? Reboot? What the hell? I like my show dark and horrible. (Because I’m a bad person, that’s why.😉 )

But then I watched again and realized, oh, it’s dark. This horror hiding in plain site. I would’ve hated this as a season finale. But the Chuck and Metatron tears, the “we should talk,” and the choice of song seem to be setting up some truly horrific moments of sacrifice. And if there’s one thing the Old Testament God understood, it was sacrifice.

Fan Phenomena: Supernatural on Amazon

Fangasm on Amazon

Fandom at the Crossroads on Amazon

Fan Culture: Theory/Practice on Amazon

Our Story

This is the story of two college professors who fell hard for a show called Supernatural. Obsession, devotion, fascination, call it what you will. We decided to figure out what was going on with us by writing a book on fandom from the fans' perspective. As academics do, we hit the libraries and internet, accumulating stacks of articles and hundreds of pages of research. We typed and revised and theorized, quoted and footnoted, and ended up with an academic text crammed full of the current scholarship on fandom.

This is not that book.

Somewhere along the line, the research took a back seat to the road trip as we traveled across the US and Canada interviewing the show’s fans, as well as the actors and directors, writers, journalists, bloggers, convention organizers, significant others and insignificant hangers-on. Fangasm! is the story of that year-long roadtrip -- the surprises we never saw coming, the secrets uncovered, the behind-the-scenes insights, the heartwarming and heartbreaking fan confessions. It’s also the story of our shared obsession and the friendship that sustains us through 4 am line-ups, overtaxed credit cards, canceled flights and airport camp-outs, and of course the occasional accusations of insanity.

Order Fangasm now from Amazon by clicking the link at the top of this page.

Media Coverage

Check out the February 2016 issue of Nylon Magazine - we're quoted in an article about fandom!

What Else We’re Writing

We've written several articles for Supernatural Magazine, including features on the fan convention experience, and behind the scenes on the set. We have also written the academic version of this story, Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/Producer Relationships , and edited a collection on fan culture, Fan Culture: Theory/Practice.
You can also order our book Fan Phenomena: Supernatural, with chapters by cast, crew and fans of Supernatural. Check out what Misha Collins and Richard Speight, Jr. have to say in their insightful (and amusing) chapters. Click the links at the top of the page to order.

And coming in May 2017, look for an exciting new book - Family Don't End With Blood: Cast and Fans on How Supernatural Changed Lives with powerful chapters by ten Supernatural actors including Jared Padalecki!

Kathy is also the Principal Editor and Lynn on the Editorial Board of The Journal Of Fandom Studies, published by Intellect. The most recent issue is available now.